MINNEAPOLIS — Harry Hunter Wendelstedt Jr. and Harry Hunter Wendelstedt III are the only father-son tandem to work major league games together. The father went by Harry and the son by Hunter.

They umped several games in the same crew in 1998, when Harry was getting ready to retire and Hunter was a 26-year-old rookie breaking into the big ...Read more

PHOENIX — The narrative should have been obvious.

A season ago, the Dodgers were swept by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the National League Division Series, marking a stunningly short postseason run for their 100-win team.

This week, the sides met Chase Field for the first time since.

For most clubs in the Dodgers’ position, bad blood ...Read more

The winner of Game 5 of the Western Conference first-round series Wednesday night was going to be one step away from advancing. The loser of Game 5 of this best-of-seven series was going to be one step away from elimination.

The Clippers are close to seeing their season coming to end following a humbling 123-93 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on ...Read more

The Miami Heat as we know them expired Wednesday night in Boston, and did so without doubt, emphatically, yet quietly even amid the howling cacophony of Celtics fans. The Jimmy Butler era closed with him in street clothes — fitting of a calamitous season that ended begging change.

Miami was eliminated 4-1 in the first round of the NBA ...Read more

BOSTON — No, they didn’t have enough.

No, there wasn’t a next man up.

And perhaps most significantly, there was no Playoff Jimmy.

So, in the end, a playoff crash and burn for the Miami Heat, their season coming to an end with Wednesday night’s 118-84 loss to the Boston Celtics at TD Garden.

In retrospect, coming away even with their ...Read more

It took until well after the game was over, but Tyrese Maxey finally showed his age.

A New York reporter asked him about Reggie Miller’s legendary eight points in nine seconds at Madison Square Garden, and Maxey essentially responded with a shrug.

“Our trainer Kevin Johnson was talking about that after the game,” Maxey said of Miller’s...Read more

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — After weeks of waiting, UNC basketball fans can finally breathe a sigh of relief. RJ Davis is coming back.

The senior guard announced on Wednesday morning he will return to North Carolina for a fifth season, much to the excitement of Tar Heels fans.

“I’m back,” Davis announced on social media at 3 a.m. UNC confirmed...Read more

DENVER — The younger brother of Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. was arrested early Sunday morning in Missouri on investigation of driving while intoxicated.

Jevon Porter, 20, was arrested at 1:31 a.m. in Boone County, Mo., State Highway Patrol records show. Porter, who was released, also was accused of speeding.

The 6-foot-11 ...Read more

LEXINGTON, Ky. — One of the best 3-point shooters in all of college basketball will be a Kentucky Wildcat next season.

On Wednesday, former Dayton guard Koby Brea announced his commitment to UK from the NCAA transfer portal. Brea has one year of college eligibility left after playing the last four seasons at Dayton.

Brea’s commitment came ...Read more

NEW YORK — As it turns out, the reports of the Sixers’ death were greatly exaggerated.

Surely, the reports were only premature — it’s got to end badly sooner or later — but they’re not dead yet.

Not as long as Tyrese Maxey is running, Tobias Harris is hustling and Joel Embiid is limping.

Maxey dropped 46 points on the Knicks, ...Read more

NEW YORK — Joel Embiid dove for the loose ball. Nick Nurse called timeout. And a crowd at Madison Square Garden that has spent so much of this first-round playoff series in a frenzy quietly began to file for the exits.

Then, Tyrese Maxey stepped to the free-throw line to cap an epic 46-point, nine-assist, season-saving effort.

The Sixers ...Read more

BOSTON — The Miami Heat now will need a next man up for their next man up amid their injury-riddled ride through the opening round of the NBA playoffs.

Moved into the starting lineup in the wake of injuries to teammates Terry Rozier and Jimmy Butler, first-round pick Jaime Jaquez Jr. on Tuesday was ruled out by the team for Wednesday night’...Read more

CHICAGO — What does it mean to be one of the greatest of all time?

It’s something we hear tossed around in sports discussions constantly. We each define it differently, some metrics carry more weight than others. It’s completely subjective, but we ask anyway. It’s one of the greatest and forever arguments in sports.

Is it championships...Read more

NEW YORK — Knicks forward Bojan Bogdanovic will undergo season-ending surgeries to repair foot and wrist injuries, the team announced on Tuesday.

The news of the Knicks losing a key role player comes with the team up 3-1 in the first-round playoff series against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Bogdanovic appeared to suffer the foot injury after ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — LeBron James and his Lakers teammates were overcome with disbelief. They rushed to the monitor on the scorer’s table in Minnesota to see the play in dispute.

They pleaded and pointed at the zoomed-in image of the toe of James’ right sneaker and the blue 3-point line it might or might not have touched.

James was sure he was ...Read more

DENVER — Jamal Murray made another shot.

Because of a flick of a wrist, LeBron James is gone. And he took Anthony Davis with him. The Nuggets vanquished the Lakers, beating them for the 12th time in 13 games to advance to the second round of the playoffs.

Denver got the win. Los Angeles got the whine.

No more stamping of feet, throwing arms...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — Timberwolves coach Chris Finch is set to have knee surgery Wednesday to repair a ruptured right patellar tendon.

The Wolves open their NBA Western Conference semifinal series in Denver on Saturday, and the team is still figuring out how Finch could help coach from near the bench area, a source said Tuesday.

Finch, 54, will have...Read more

LOS ANGELES — LeBron James raised the microphone to his face.

"Ummm," he started.

James smiled and looked at me.

"I'm not going to answer that," he said.

James nodded.

"Appreciate it," he said, still smiling.

With that, he walked off the dais.

The question I asked that James declined to answer: Did he have any thoughts on Monday night ...Read more